For many years we have heard our friends and colleagues talk about, and sometimes lament, the brain drain.
Simply, some of the best educated, trained and experienced people from the so-called "developing countries" have made their homes in the developed countries, and the resultant skill shortages in the developing countries have added to the poverty and dismay so prevalent in the countries from which they, in most cases, have literally fled.
Some people think that "aid" from the developed world will get the development process going, and that this will in time reduce, alleviate or banish poverty - and thereby remove the "push" forces that speed up the brain drain.
Others argue that a sensible mix of "trade and aid" will do the trick .
However, most indicators seem to suggest that the solutions to the brain drain problem which have been tried so far have not worked, and that the brain drain -from the developing to the developed world - is in fact gathering pace!
This is a major problem for us all, and I therefore invite comments and suggestions from our worldwide family, and some firm suggestions on how to reverse the brain drain.
Our blog may be reached at: reversethebraindrain.blogspot.com
Thanks for reading this welcome message.
Now I invite you all to join in sharing ideas and suggestions about how we might stem and reverse the brain drain.
Each month we will identify "the most creative ideas" that hit our blog, and prizes will be awarded.
So, let's be creative and let's have some fun !!
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Worldwide Audience:
Yesterday, BBC-World (on cable) hosted a very interesting, hour-long, discussion on the topic "migration to Europe." Their program was entitled "Have Your Say." Participants from all over the world called in, or emailed, and as you might expect the views expressed were many and varied. The BBC program lasted for approx one hour. Our BLOG will last as long as we want it to last.
Who will get the ball rolling by making the first comment?
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
This is a topic dear to my heart and central to the problem of the phenomenon known as "The Third World."
Is it a question of human nature?
Is humankind programmed to want to maximize their earning potential and therefore to seek enrichment and ease of living in an already developed society?
Is there an ontological caveat to life that says selfishness is wrong?
Does one have a greater responsibility to one's birthplace than to one's wellbeing? Are the two responsibilities mutually exclusive?
Is the political machine in the mother country fearful of new ideas and the vitality of young intellect? Does it seek to repress or corrupt the recently returned?
Cont’d...
All nations have to define their individual characters as a prequisite to being able to motivate their populations to produce. Many so called developing nations are caught in this transitionary phase. As their characters evolve, they are simultaneously devoloping many of the systems that will allow development to occur. Alas, this is a slow and painstaking process. In the interim the central governments find themselves unable to provide the basic services necessary to retain and motivate their human capital.
The solution to reversing the brain drain lies in the economic opportunities available in the homeland. Depending on the local government or former oppressor nations to develop the local infrastructure is a recipe for failure. One unforseen benefit of the brain drain is a large and reasonable well resourced diaspora community. Itis this community that can finance and accelerate the development of the local infrastructure. Now care has to be taken not to think in local terms but to see the plight of any nation as a call to action by all of good will.
What would it take to eradicate a parasite from sub-saharan a
Africa? Increase crop yields in Haiti? Provide potable water or solar electricity in Bangladesh? It is all doable.
Worldwide Audience:
As you can see from the very thoughtful comments posted so far, several fascinating issues have already been raised.
Migrants Remittances is one such issue.
Now here are some facts and comments re the money which migrants from Latin America & the Caribbean send back home.
"In 2005 migrant workers from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) sent a total of $48.3 billion back to their home countries. In 2004, remittances represented about 70 percent of foreign direct investment (FDI) in LAC and were 500 percent larger than Official Development Assistance to the region."
Pablo Fajnzylber, World Bank senior economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, says that, “Remittances help poor families increase their savings, keep their children in school, and deal with negative economic shocks.”
The study emphasizes that despite the positive impact of remittances in the region, they are no replacement for sound development policies in the countries. It adds that it is important to implement complementary policies while promoting remittances as an alternative source of development finance and inviting banks to “take advantage” of remittances flows.
“In order to maximize the benefits of remittances, policy makers need to improve the investment climate, include migrants and their families in the banking system, and avoid overvaluation of the real exchange rate,” says Fajnzylber.
(The study referenced above is:
"Close to Home: The Development Impact of Remittances in Latin America.")
Audience: please keep your thoughts and suggestions flowing!
Worldwide Audience:
Information and commentary on migrants'remittances (to their home countries)is coming in fast. Among the latest is a one-page report/analysis from the Inter-American Development Bank.
Please read the verbatim (IADB) report below, and share with us your comments and suggestions on how the "brain-drain" phenominon should be tackled and by whom.
THE IADB ONE-PAGE REPORT APPEARS BELOW:
"The remittance market has changed dramatically over the past few years.
Once "hidden in plain view," remittances are now widely recognized as critical to the survival of millions of individual families, and the health of many national economies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
Unlike foreign aid, migrant remittances go directly to families in places that are often difficult to reach with official development assistance. And, while international capital flows have fluctuated with market cycles, remittances have steadily increased, even during economic recession.
For 2006, remittances to LAC reached US$62.3 billion (14% over 2005), making the region the largest remittance market in the world.
This amount exceeded, for the fourth consecutive year, the combined flows of all net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the region.[1]
Given the complicated process of tracking informal flows, particularly those still carried by hand, actual flows could be at least 10% higher.
With these accounting and reporting challenges in mind, it is particularly gratifying to note the significant progress of many Central Banks throughout the region in providing more accurate remittance information.
Mexico remains the largest recipient of remittances, at over US$23 billion
Followed by Brazil and Colombia which reached over US$7 and US$4 billion respectively.
Central America and the Dominican Republic combined to reach over US$13 billion.
The An-dean countries totaled almost US$11 billion; and the
Caribbean, $4.5 billion.
It is currently estimated that over 20 million LAC-born adults send money home on a regular basis -- typically $200-$300 a month - resulting in more than 250 million separate financial transactions a year.[2]
Over the past six years, transaction costs have been reduced from 15% to just above 5%, as Latin America has moved from being one of the most expensive remittance markets in the world to being one of the least expensive.
About 75% of LAC remittances are sent from the United States (US$45 billion); while
Remittances from Western Europe, particularly, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom now account for almost 15% of the market (US$9 billion).
Other large flows come from Japan to Brazil and Peru; and Canada to Jamaica and Haiti - intraregional flows account for the rest."
BRAIN DRAIN ETHIOPIA
"The brain drain is not unique to Ethiopia or even to developing countries. To some extent, every country in the world, including the United States, loses through migration highly educated and skilled individuals. In fact, the British Royal Society coined the term “brain drain” to describe the outflow of scientists to the United States and Canada in the 1950s and early 1960s. There was a massive migration in the 1960s primarily of British, German and Canadian scholars to the United States. Beginning in the late 1960s, the brain drain came to be associated with the flow of skilled individuals from the developing world to Western Europe and North America."
CONCLUSION:
This is a complex problem; there are no simple answers. Although Ethiopia can not control the “pull” factors that contribute to the brain drain, it can do something about the “push” factors. For the sake of Ethiopia’s economic development, the brain drain merits high level attention. As Mekelle University law student Abeba Tadesse commented in her paper, the government of Ethiopia needs to take responsibility for addressing the problem. At the same time, she emphasized that too many Ethiopians expect the government to do everything. It is time Ethiopians start taking some responsibility themselves. I would urge that this include those Ethiopians living in the diaspora.
Some PUSH forces that give the Brain Drain momentum include the following:
"Poor human rights practices, political and/or arbitrary arrests coupled with a backlogged court system, intolerance of political dissent, lack of academic freedom, civil conflict and the ravages of war, illegal regime change and favoritism based on ethnic affiliation are among the political reasons for the brain drain."
In addition:
"Experts who have studied the brain drain point to a basket of economic reasons for causing or exacerbating the problem. As daily living conditions become more difficult, many professionals will look for opportunities elsewhere. A country with a weak economy, high unemployment, low wages and considerable poverty is a prime candidate for a major brain drain."
Now, since this is a problem that impacts us all, and with which many of us have had some first hand experience, how do we react to what is being said? What is your personal take on this "brain drain" monster?
Please share your thoughts with us now!
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Thanks.
Great
Bravo!
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